Goûtez-Voir walks: on the kiwi road

Originally from China, where it has been consumed for more than 2000 years, the kiwi, was called at the time “Yang Tao”. It was only in the early 1900s that the kiwifruit arrived in New Zealand. Named “Chinese gooseberry” in connection with the tangy flavor of the pulp, it quickly took the name “kiwi”, in connection with the emblematic bird of the country.

In the mid-20th century, New Zealand developed large-scale kiwi cultivation and France followed a few years later. The kiwifruit is grown today mainly in Italy, New Zealand, France, Greece, Australia, United States, Chile and Japan.

France is the 3rd European producer of Kiwis. It produces more than 63,000 tonnes a year. The Rhône Alpes region represents 9% of production (mainly divided between Ardèche and Drôme).

In Ardèche, the kiwi has been present for more than forty years. At the end of the 70s and the beginning of the 80s, a few enthusiasts including the Guigue family, in the south of the Ardèche, started growing this pome fruit. After a few trips to New Zealand to get acquainted with the cultivation of this climbing plant, production is developing quite quickly in the department. The kiwi is enjoyed there thanks to the filtering grounds and the weak frosts.

Since then, many orchards have sprung up, mainly producing Hayward kiwifruit, the most famous variety of green flesh kiwifruit.

At the Luol Farm, located in Saint Julien du Serre, Marina and Cédric took over the family business 15 years ago. They raise cows, poultry and cultivate Hayward variety kiwis on approximately 2 hectares. Kiwis have been present in their orchards for forty years and are grown organically. Small peculiarity of their operation, the poultry spend their days frolicking in the kiwi orchards. This allows them to be in the shade but also to eat the growing herbs and thus maintain the land.

The annual kiwi harvest is intense and short. It is done over only 4 days. Cédric and Marina get help from parents, their children, some employees and volunteer friends.

With the help of stepladders and storage crates, the whole team gets down to picking up. The kiwis will then be sold on the farm or in local producers’ stores.

A few kilometers away, in St Sernin, Marc Dejoux produces around fifty tonnes of Hayward green kiwis each year. He is part of the 5th generation of arborist in his family. Here, kiwis have been grown organically since 2000, like many kiwifruit growers in the region. Each year, Marc installs a few beehives in his orchards to help pollinate the male and female plants in his orchards.

At the Dejoux, the harvest of 2 hectares and a half of kiwis is done during the All Saints holidays, mainly with the family and with a few employees if necessary.

Once harvested in the bins, the kiwis are not stored on Marc’s farm. They are delivered to the local cooperative “Vivacoop” which takes care of them until they are sold.

Located a few kilometers from Marc’s farm, also in St Sernin, the Vivacoop fruit cooperative opened in 1949. It works with around 450 producers of chestnuts, cherries and kiwis in the region.

Around thirty kiwi growers come to deliver their kiwi fruit at the end of October. Since 1997, almost all of the kiwis that are delivered to the cooperative are organic.

Once delivered, the kiwis are taken care of by the team. The boxes are weighed, the batches are tested for their sugar level as well as for their firmness.

The kiwis are then graded and passed through a machine which, using several flexible brushes, removes as much hair as possible in order to obtain a smoother kiwi skin and above all pleasant for consumers. The kiwis are then stored for a few weeks in order to obtain the required sugar level for sale.

A the Pick of the Bridge, Installed in Aubenas, the Chaussabel family has been in arboriculture for about forty years. After working in conventional agriculture and supplying supermarkets for many years, Laurent and Mylène decided to switch to sustainable and organic agriculture.

They have been producing kiwis for ten years on 3000 m2, a small production which gives about 6 tons of fruit each year.

For 2 years, the Chaussabels no longer harvest their kiwis themselves. They open their orchards for 2 days at the end of October for free picking. Families are thus invited to come and pick their fruits themselves. Laurent is very fond of this short circuit, and he takes pride in knowing that his kiwis will be consumed directly in the Ardèche region.

When they arrive in the orchard, a bucket is distributed to the customer-collectors and Laurent does not hesitate to give them advice for the harvest and to tell with passion the original culture of the kiwi.

For gourmets who want to taste kiwi in a different form, head to the Pastry Julien Degraeve in Davézieux. Julien trained in a hotel school before joining the kitchens of starred establishments. Passionate about pastry making, Julien trained as an autodidact. In the pastry shop he runs today with his wife Mylène, the couple offers graphic and designer pastries, made with fresh and seasonal products with unexpected flavors.

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